Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a deeper fight against corruption within the country’s armed forces and for an acceleration of military modernization. According to information released on July 31, he made the remarks during a thematic study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China.
Xi said the People’s Liberation Army must remain under the absolute leadership of the Communist Party. He identified combat effectiveness as the primary measure of military development and noted that corruption undermines both the political unity and operational capabilities of the armed forces.
The Chinese leader placed particular emphasis on technological modernization. He said Beijing should accelerate the development of an “intelligent military system”, involving the broader use of unmanned technologies, artificial intelligence, and cyber-information systems in the military sphere.
The remarks were made ahead of the 99th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army. During Xi Jinping’s tenure, the anti-corruption campaign has also targeted the military’s senior leadership and procurement system. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the large-scale purge exposed problems within the command structure and affected the military’s combat readiness in the short term.
